Comments on: Maggots, Mushrooms and Malarkyhttp://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/02/18/maggots-mushrooms-and-malarky/
Cook Local, Eat GlobalWed, 29 Aug 2012 23:26:54 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.2By: Rosemaryhttp://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/02/18/maggots-mushrooms-and-malarky/#comment-92160
Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:06:11 +0000http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/?p=1076#comment-92160I get food poisoning from mushrooms all the time, at least the ones grown in manure, like regular white (field) mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms and other mushrooms that grow on wood rather than manure seem to be just fine, though, they never make me ill and if anything they seem to make me feel better a lot of the time. Shiitake mushroom broth is delicious and full of antioxidants, so are a lot of other mushrooms.

But those plain white mushrooms? They make me so sick I spend the next day puking my guts out. I know it’s some sort of bacteria or microscopic worms (or maggots) on in mushrooms making me sick and it’s connected to being grown in manure because they are the only type of mushrooms that make me sick.

Vegetables can be grown with some manure added to the soil if they’re above-ground fruit that never touch the soil because the roots of the plant take in nutrients and prevent transmission of bacteria and nasty microorganisms. White mushrooms are grown directly in manure and they’re the only grocery item that is grown that way. There is nothing else on the market that’s been grown in.. manure.

For root plants, tubers, and mushrooms etc it’s safer to use compost instead of manure. Manure is great for trees and corn and wheat and tomatoes and other stuff that grows away from the soil.

So, yeah. Maybe I’m not talking about big fruit fly maggots or mealworms and such but there are tiny barely-viewable-with-the-human eye maggots and bacteria that are definitely a health hazard and can cause serious illness. Maybe the person who sent you the article also has a bad reaction to white mushrooms and was just spreading the word.

I should also mention.. I have no aversion to eating bugs. I don’t go out of my way to eat them but the occasional mealworm in my flour or pasta really doesn’t bother me and I consider it extra nutrition (though obv. would make sure to use 100% mealworm free ingredients if I were cooking for someone else :D). So I’m not just being a pansy when I say the bacteria and micromaggots on those mushrooms are dangerous. I’m never feeding anything directly grown in manure to my kids. Ever.

But.. I loooove all other mushrooms. In fact, I’m thinking of growing some reiki and shiitake mushrooms next month. Never tried it before, I’m kinda psyched.

It reminded me of a story about in Texas they came up with a spider perfect for eating weavels and other bugs in grain silos. They could prove the net result was LESS INSECT PARTS. (Less combined insect AND spider parts actually.) The FDA refused to allow it, according to the story. Eww, they said, you can’t put spiders in the silos.

]]>By: Mary Ann Dimandhttp://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/02/18/maggots-mushrooms-and-malarky/#comment-87640
Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:01:19 +0000http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/?p=1076#comment-87640Yeah, that unfortunate writer must never eat morels at all.
]]>By: AgreementGuyhttp://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/02/18/maggots-mushrooms-and-malarky/#comment-87343
Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:35:07 +0000http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/?p=1076#comment-87343I always enjoy your posts, and was driven to give in and post a comment: It’s not dirt and bugs causing Samonella and the like, otherwise there’d have been no current increase as nothing has changed. What has changed was the laws about 2 years ago concerning “Organic” food and the use of sewage as fertilizer. We have known for decades that in the US our immune systems could not handle using human excrement as fertilizer. It’s a common practice in some countries, but they have grown an immunity to it. Just like the “mystery” of Mad Cow (don’t induce cannibalism in livestock, duh) this too should not be such a mystery….
]]>By: Harryhttp://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/02/18/maggots-mushrooms-and-malarky/#comment-86771
Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:00:57 +0000http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/?p=1076#comment-86771Since you linked I reread Meat Comes From Animals, which leads me to two questions:

1) All the sources agree that halal & kosher killing are hard & take practice. I’ve known this for years. It suddenly occured to me to wonder: what do apprentice halal & kosher butchers practice *on*? I can’t think of an answer that doesn’t involve a period of incompetent, painful killing.

2) You say in the post that vegetarianism is not sustainable in all areas. Elsewhere you’ve argued – strongly – for eating only locally grown food. By implcation (and maybe explicitly, I don’t remember word for word) you’re saying that locally-grown is always sustainable. I don’t see these views as compatable; please explain.